Your Princess is in Another Castle
by sadistic lunatic
Summary: :: Post-S02E06 One-Shot :: Jaune thinks he's okay. Nora thinks opposite. What follows is a bromance unlike any other.


**_A/N:_** Because JNPR's what draws me to RWBY…

* * *

><p><em>"If you're tired of denying things and seem as if you're not yourself… believe in me. I'll always be here. The proof that you're alive exists inside of me."<em>

- _Free & Easy _by Hamasaki Ayumi

* * *

><p>It was a downtrodden Jaune Arc that returned to the room, instantly drawing the eyes of his team.<p>

"_Hey guys…_" Jaune weakly greeted, giving them one of those smiles they had come to know was his attempt to hide that which was hurting him.

It was not difficult to figure out _what_ caused his distress. It was always the same: _Weiss Schnee_, the girl he had somehow managed to fall deeply in love with despite all reasons contrary, including the fact that she despised him as a person.

Their leader was truly transparent but seeing his heart beat on his sleeves was one of the reasons they respected him.

Pyrrha was the first to come to Jaune's aid, a worried frown on her face so very similar to a doting mothers'. "Jaune, did you not find Weiss?"

That was apparently the wrong way to open because Jaune grimaced in reply. Whenever Jaune felt put on the spot, he habitually scratched the back of his head; this time was no different. "I… did."

"I see…" Pyrrha murmured, hesitating for just a short moment, before mustering the courage to ask. "Did she turn you down?"

_Again_, Pyrrha's sad eyes seemed to ask what her mouth could not.

Of course, Jaune was not so adept at language—verbal, and especially unspoken. Neither could he comprehend at that moment if he was adept; he was distraught. Struggling.

There were far too many pieces of his heart littering the floor and his hands were too clumsy to pick them all up, what more place them back together?

Jaune willed himself still. His jaw visibly tightened, shoulders collapsing as he admitted, "Yeah. Kind of."

"Kind of?" Pyrrha repeated, perplexed by his response. Despite her surprise, Pyrrha felt her very own chest tighten at the obvious pain Jaune felt. _It was she, after all, that spurned him on this path…_ "Please explain, Jaune."

Once more, Jaune flinched and curled into himself. He could not bring himself to meet Pyrrha's piercing gazing. "_Can I not…?_"

"You simply _must_." Pyrrha stood her ground and reasoned. "How can I—how can your _team_ help you if you refuse to even explain?" She palmed his cheek and forced him to look at her. "Have you learned nothing from last time, Jaune?"

It hurt Pyrrha—_angered_ her, even, that Jaune appeared to relapse back into his old habit of trying to shoulder his burden alone. Had she not _earned_ his trust? Why would he not confide within _her_? She was there for him!

Her grip tightened.

"Th-that's—what I mean is—_oh what do I mean_—?" Jaune stammered in his panic.

He could tell; Pyrrha was angry. His partner was angry and he didn't know how to calm the storm inside him long enough to placate her.

Fortunately, it was not just him and Pyrrha alone in Team JNPR's room.

Ren shot Nora a sharp look and the girl quickly leapt to her feet.

"Alright, time out!" Nora interjected, pulling the distressed Jaune away from the equally distressed Pyrrha. She stood between her leader and her friend. "There's too much testosterone here!"

"Huh?" Jaune dumbly blink.

"_Nora_." Pyrrha firmly began, intent on shoving Nora aside so she could resume trying to console Jaune.

"Uh-uh, Pyrrha." Nora shook her head adamantly before breaking out into a grin. "I gots 'dis."

As if to accentuate, she flexed her biceps while pointing at herself with both thumbs.

It was clear to Pyrrha what Nora was implying. She appreciated the offer but, really, she didn't need any help.

"Move, _Nora_." Pyrrha insisted.

The brunette would not budge.

"Pyrrha." Ren called the redhead from his spot on the bed, drawing her attention away from her stubborn teammate. "Let Nora handle this." When Pyrrha seemed to remain stubborn, Ren added. "You're in _too_ deep."

"Jaune is _my_ partner." Pyrrha declared firmly.

It was then when Nora and Ren realized that Pyrrha was getting impatient. Desperate, even, to capitalize on Jaune's weakness.

While understandable, this _was not _the time. And, they feared, Pyrrha would regret it; her soul was just _too_ kind.

"Well, Jaune is _my_ friend." Nora adamantly countered. "So he and I are gonna have a pal's night out!" She threw a grin at the stupefied boy behind her. "Isn't that right?"

"Huh?"

"Exactly! Ta-ta, Renny and Pyrrha!" Nora grabbed Jaune's hand and skipped.

"Wait-!" Pyrrha reached out, only to stop when she felt Ren's firm hand on her shoulder.

That moment proved crucial as the door closed behind the two.

"You're in too deep, Pyrrha." He repeated, evenly. "Just wait. Though we told you to act, now is not the time."

Not when Jaune was vulnerable.

"…yes."

She would wait…

Just like always.

-0-0-0-

In the hallways of Beacon's dorms, Nora Valkyrie dragged Jaune Arc by the arm.

"Nora, where are you taking me?"

"Oh, you know~" Nora sang. "Out!"

-0-0-0-

Call him dense, but it was only when they passed Beacon Academy's gates when Jaune realized _something_ was not quite right.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Jaune apologized as he felt his pulse quicken with anxiety. "Can we go back to the dorms now?"

Nora threw him a mischievous grin.

"Nope!"

Jaune had a feeling he was not going to like where this was going.

-0-0-0-

Jaune was right.

He _really_ didn't like where they stopped at.

He shivered before glancing at his companion warily.

"…Nora, I don't think this is such a good idea."

"How else are we gonna get to the city this late?" Nora stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Can we _not_ go to the city this late? I mean—curfew!"

The careless girl's brows actually knitted in thought.

"Dunno what that means, but it sounds boring."

"Nora!"

The fluttering of feathered wings filled the night.

Nora leapt in place before thrusting a finger excitedly at the dark blurs in the night and exclaiming, "Yipee! Our ride's here!"

She shoved Jaune off the cliff.

"Aieeeeeeee!" Jaune screamed in terror, flailing his arms like a flightless chicken.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!" Nora laughed beside him, having leapt after her team leader.

"My life's flashing before my eyes!"

"Mine is too!"

Jaune gaped at the cheerful Nora.

"Aaaaaaaaaagh!"

"Hahahahahahaha!"

Nora spun in mid-air, drew Magnhild, and fired at the cliff.

-0-0-0-

"Sweet, sweet ground I love you I love you I love you don't ever leave me again!"

"Well, I guess now we know you don't get motion sick gliding on Nevermores."

"**_Ueeeaaagh_**."

"Whoops," Nora had the decency to wince sympathetically. "Spoke too soon. On the bright side, now you've got an empty stomach! Let's go, Jauney!"

She grabbed his arm and dragged the ailing blonde to the light.

-0-0-0-

The last thing Jaune expected the night his heart broke was to be sat beside Nora Valkyrie at the bar of some homely-looking pub in Vale.

In all honesty, he was thought it would be Ren—'the brother he never had', and all. But Nora…?

Nora gave a loud, unladylike belch.

"_Gyaha_! That felt good." Nora moaned and patted her satisfied belly. "So, lemme get this straight: you stumbled on Weiss asking Neptune out to the dance tomorrow while trying to ask Weiss out to the dance tomorrow, and you bailed without even hearing Neptune's response to said Weiss asking him out to the dance tomorrow?"

Jaune groaned, whether at the reminder or at Nora's redundant syntax driving his failure deeper through his chest. "Yes."

"Ya shoulda just stayed for the reply!"

"It was bad enough that I was eavesdropping…" Jaune reasoned.

"Who cares!" Nora waved his excuse negatively. "Why care about that when it doesn't make you happy?"

"It'd make Weiss even _more_ unhappy with me if she caught me…"

"No amount of Weiss' happiness will get her to go out with ya, y'know." Nora pointed out. "No point being Weiss-pleasy if it's just gonna make you achey."

Jaune winced. "Look, Nora, I'm grateful for you taking me out, really, but I just—I need to think this through myself, alright?"

"Eh, no." Nora shook her head. "To be honest, you're just not the brooding type. You're the spill-my-guts type, so, spill!"

"Sometimes, you're just too hard to reason with." Jaune remarked, taking a sip from his soda.

"Not as hard as you wooing Weiss." She winked at him playfully.

"I suppose…" Jaune murmured. His shoulders slumped; he really never had a chance with Weiss, did he? But, he had thought, if he just persevered—if he somehow managed to get it across Weiss that he _was_ seriously, maddeningly in love with her; that he would not take her for granted, then maybe…

"I'm fine, really. I mean, Weiss—I was the one that… _fell_ for her. She's not-" his chest tightened; dust, it was _hard_ to admit it out loud, but Nora was right; he couldn't hold it in. "She's not obligated to reciprocate. It's—it's all me. My fault." Jaune smiled at Nora weakly. "The least I can do is bow out quietly and not cause her any more trouble."

Nora stared at Jaune warmly throughout his entire confession; Jaune was grateful for Nora's attentive silence. His companion was right. It felt good, even though just by a bit, to let _this_ out of his system, unhindered.

"Jaune…" Nora reached out to his cheek…

And then gave it a hard pinch as fire lit up in her eyes. "I can't believe you're such a wuss!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Not the face!" Jaune struggled to cry amidst Nora's sudden attack.

It was like his companion was intent on splitting his cheek from the rest of his face!

"Stop it with the pity-party! It's stupid!"

"Nora!"

"You've got the right to get angry!"

"_Hurtcheekwhy_!"

"So get angry! Lash out! Rationalizing when you're hurt is stupid! You're stupid!"

"_Don'tknowwhatyou'resayingbutleggonowplease!_"

She shoved him off his seat and Jaune crashed with a girlish yelp.

"My cheek!" The blond cradled said swollen appendage gingerly.

Jaune nearly jumped when Nora slammed a foot down on the chair he had been sitting on, leaning forward to glare down at him imperiously.

"_And also…_"

Jaune shrank into himself, bracing himself for another thrashing.

"While, yeah, it's not the other person's fault you _fell in love_ with her—_but!_ But using "fault" is a bad way of putting it! It's like you were never happy! It's like it's something bad!"

Jaune stilled and blinked, curiously, up at the simmering girl. And then, somehow, he found the strength to smile a small smile when Nora's point set in.

Who would have thought there was a bone of romance in Nora's body?

"Do you understand me?" Nora huffed and folded her arms.

"Yeah, I got it." He sighed. "I was… happy. To see Weiss. To admire Weiss. You're right. It was not a 'fault'. I remember feeling..." Jaune paused and grimaced as emotions surged inside of him. Abruptly, he shook his head. "I want to forget."

Nora offered him a hand.

"You don't force yourself to forget." She advised Jaune solemnly and helped him to his feet. "You just shouldn't obsess. Keep on lovin' her, and thinking about her, but don't make your world revolve around her."

"_Nora…_"

"Don't deny what you feel. I know it stings, but just let stuff happen, y'know? Time will pass, and—who knows? Maybe you'll start thinking about her less and less until…"

Her words made a lot of sense. They struck Jaune as the right thing to do.

However…

It was _too_ ideal.

It was Nora's ideals, Jaune could tell. After all, Jaune realized, Nora was as much consoling him as she was herself.

Jaune struggled against the frown threatening to form. "_…how's that working out for you, Nora_?"

Nora's eyes abruptly narrowed, and even Jaune could admit that he chose his words poorly.

But what was said, was said.

"I'm gonna give ya a pass just 'cause I dragged you out here to spill your guts all over the floor."

"You know I didn't mean it that way…" He pointed out.

"I know…" Nora seemed to shrink as she rubbed her arm. "And, yeah, it still hasn't gotten me further, and it still bites…But you know what?" Her eyes pierced his; all Jaune could see was utter truth—Nora's _sincerity_. "I'm still at Renny's side. We're still BFFs. I still get my pancakes. He still gets adventure. He still gets to read his books. I still get to show off."

Her confession made his heart twinge. Jaune wanted to comfort her—"_Because Nora Valkryie was not supposed to look that small"_ his heart yelled—but his throat was dry and his lips were sealed. Instead, all Jaune could do was comfort her with a hand on her shoulder.

Who was comforting who, now?

"You see, Renny—_Ren_ is… it's not like Ren has someone else in mind. Ren just isn't looking for anyone at the moment. He said… he just wants his best friend."

_And then she smiled._

…

…

…

Jaune's shoulders sagged as the weight of his worries rolled off his shoulders.

"_What if…_" Jaune's voice cracked against his constricted throat, and he swallowed. "What if he finds _someone_?"

Nora placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out proudly. "I'm not going down without a fight."

"But…?"

"But…" Nora paused, eyes closing in thought before, finally, arriving at her answer. "I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I did my best even if I'm not who my best friend wants."

"Won't that hurt?"

Nora laughed uproariously at Jaune's silly question.

"Absolutely! But I'll go on with life like usual and, who knows? _I'll start thinking of him less and less…_"

Jaune smiled.

_Honestly…_

"You're… _strong_, Nora." He found himself admiring this willful girl more and more. "Really strong. Stronger than I'll ever be."

"Just 'cause I'm strong, doesn't mean _you_ can't be, too!" Nora laughed again, sidling up against Jaune before slinging an arm around his neck and dragged him down to her. Her other hand raised a mug of _beer_. "Now, man up Jauney-boy! It's time for you to drown!"

Jaune's eyes grew with alarm as much at the sudden shift in mood as the words Nora chose.

One just could not predict when it came to the restless Valkyrie.

"Wait- Nora!"

"No waits!"

She pried his jaw open with one hand and shoved the drink down his throat with the other.

As Jaune desperately swallowed amidst Nora's joyful cheering, he realized that this night was going to be a long, strange one.

He just had no idea _how_.

-0-0-0-

"Well, I'm out."

"Oh thank god! I don't think I can take another mug."

"You…can surprisingly hold your drink."

"Grow up with my family, and you'll have to. I'm more surprised about you, Nora."

"Valkyries don't get drunk!"

"I see. Well, we better-_woah_!"

"Easy there, Jauneykinns. Just 'cause you can hold your drink, doesn't meant you can't get drunk. Or, tipsy."

"But you-"

"-Are a Valkyrie, and Valkyries never get drunk."

"…Let's just head back now."

"Sure! But I don't think we can scale Beacon Cliff with you like that."

"Scale?! No! Can't we… er… just take the rail back?"

"I'm out of cash."

"I still have. C'mon, let's go."

-0-0-0-

"…"

"…"

"Wanna try-"

"No. We're not scaling the cliff."

"But-"

"The rail resumes at daybreak, right? That's—that's four hours from now. Do you have your Scroll?"

"Nope. You?"

"…"

"You lost it again, didn't you?"

"…I need to take a leak."

"I'm coming with!"

"Wh-_what_?"

-0-0-0-

"How the heck?"

"Hah! That's another bottle you're downing, Jaune-Jaune!"

"No, _really_. How could I lose a pissing contest to _you_?"

"It's not so bad. I beat Renny, too!"

"I… have nothing to say about that."

-0-0-0-

"The Queen demands thee-"

"You rigged this, Nora!"

"Blasphemy!"

"There're only two of us, so there's no way you can get the King's-"

"Queen!"

"_Queen's_ privilege _ten_ times in a row!"

"Take it up with the church, heretic. But until then, my word is law!"

"Ugh."

"And the law demands you to _change_!"

"Where did you get this outfit?!"

"Change, now!"

"I'll get you for this, fiend!"

-0-0-0-

"Eeep!"

"_This chick's a dude?!_ Get away from me!"

"Bwahahahaha! Priceless!"

"…"

"Awww, don't be like that, _Jeanne_~ You make a purrtty woman~"

"…you know what? There is a beacon of hope amidst this storm of mortification: I finally got you beat."

"Hrmm?"

"In the several yards since we started this, a total of five guys came up to _me_. Place that against _your _zero!"

"Wha-! B-but that's-!"

"Feel the burn, Nora Valkyrie! Feel! _The_! **_Burn_**!"

"Nooo!"

-0-0-0-

"Oof!"

"You okay in there?"

"…These bindings are kinda tight."

"We don't have to do this if you're feeling uncomfortable."

"Thanks, Jaune. It's sweet. But I'm still gonna kick your tushy."

"Curses."

-0-0-0-

"That makes twelve."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"Why was I born a guy?"

"Same reason I was born a girl."

"So you mean…?"

"Yeah. Damn those storks."

"And their freakish beaks, too."

"I need a drink."

"Thought you said Valkyries don't get drunk."

"So? I. Need. A. Drink. I also need to get out of these bindings."

"Too tight?"

"They kinda snapped."

"…oh."

-0-0-0-

"Go fish."

"…I don't think my bladder can hold another."

"Go fish."

"I'm really, honestly, going to puke."

"_Go_. **_Fish_**."

"…fine."

-0-0-0-

"I can't believe you still beat me at a pissing contest! What did you even drink!"

-0-0-0-

"Dust, Nora!"

"What is it, Jaune-Jaune?"

"You drank too much! I'm out of cash."

"Oh."

"What do you mean _'oh_'! Now we don't have money for the rail!"

"We can always-"

"I'm _not_ climbing."

"Oh, chill Jauney. Let's just earn some cash."

"We're in the dead of night, Nora. How are we supposed to earn cash?"

"Well, there's aaaalways _one_ job we can get at this hour~"

-0-0-0-

"I~it's sodomy time!"

"Nora, that is entirely inappropriate."

"C'mon, _you_ try it."

"No way."

"Do it!"

"No."

"You coward."

"I'm not doing it, Nora."

"It feels good!"

"'No' means 'no'!"

"Unless it means 'yes'!"

"…they're getting away, Nora."

"Oh! Halt! Stop in the name of truth and love, ne'er do wellers! _I demand you hand over your money_!"

"…_we're_ supposed to be the good guys, right?"

-0-0-0-

"See, Jaune-Jaune! S'not so bad; we did the city a favor, _and_ we got cash to splurge."

"If I was sober, I'd be more offended."

"You look sober, Jauney. Maybe you need a drink."

"Nora!"

"There's this club I saw-"

"We're _not_ drinking again."

"You're just scared I'll beat you at another long-distance pissing contest."

"_NoI'mnot!_ I mean—it's our funds! We gotta save it for the trip back!"

"But that's still _hours_ from now! How 'bout we head into that club and rest there?"

"..."

"It's safer in there than out here, Jaune-Jaune."

"_You're_ worried about safety? You know what? Fine."

"Yay!"

"But no drinking!"

"Yes, Jauney~"

-0-0-0-

"Don't look now, Jauney, but I think those twins are into us."

"Nora, clearly, they're into me. _Me_. As in, The Jaune."

"You take the red one, I'll take the white."

"Nora, please."

"Unless you want to take the white one. I was just being considerate, anyways. _Weiss_ an' all."

"Thanks, but I can take both of them."

"Ooooh, feeling lucky, bub?"

"Watch me. This Jaune Arc? He is a god of dance. The ladies can't get enough of him."

-0-0-0-

"Nooooraaaa! Heeeeelp!"

"Well, I'm sorry for doubting you, buddy. You _can_ dance. The ladies can't get enough of you, too."

"Saaaave meeee! Ouch! Who pinched me—no! Back! _EEP!_ Stay back! I don't even know what you mean! _I didn't bring a hose and I don't wanna go to your house just to water your barren garden!_"

-0-0-0-

"You mean she-"

"Yeah."

"But you didn't-"

"Uh-huh."

Nora sighed. "_Women_."

"Women." Jaune agreed.

-0-0-0-

After hearing Jaune and Nora's plight, the twins they met at the bar offered to let them stay in the lounge for the rest of the night. The two accepted the offer gratefully.

-0-0-0-

The first thing Jaune felt when he woke up not too long before sunrise was that his head felt like Yang's punching bag.

The next thing he noticed was that he was shirtless, but warm. He had Nora to thank for that, he supposed. Nora snuggled into him, clad only in her underwear, her curvaceous body molding all over his front and side.

Weirdly enough, it did nothing for him. If anything, it just felt like when he was younger; when he'd wake up to his sisters cuddling him.

It felt nice.

Comforting.

He decided to squeeze some more sleep in.

-0-0-0-

"Look, Jaune! Sun's up."

"I hate you, Nora Valkyrie. I hate you with a burning passion of a thousand rising suns. If this is the last sunrise I will ever see, know that I will eternally despair watching this sunrise with you."

"Want a pancake?"

"Aw, thanks Nora-"

"I do, too."

"Darn it, Nora!"

-0-0-0-

"How can you eat so many pancakes!"

"'Cause they're good~"

"Well, now we're out of cash again."

"I'm in the mood for some mountain climbin'."

"…_what_?"

"We can't take the rail without any money. Unless, of course, you've got a way of getting cash quickly."

Jaune stared.

Nora grinned.

Jaune sighed, "…I'm gonna go find some thugs."

-0-0-0-

"I~it's SODOMY TIME!"

"Told ya it feels good saying it."

"You are wise beyond your years, Nora. I never should have doubted you."

-0-0-0-

"C'mon, Jaune! Take your sword out and murder his sorry bum! Pump your family blade into him until he can no longer stand—until all his juices soak the floor!"

"…Just like that, I don't want to fight you anymore."

"Me neither."

"Walk away?"

"Soon as I get some cash."

"Here. So long as you keep that crazy bint hell away, copy? She just kills the mood, y'know?"

"Yeah. Thanks. C'mon, Nora…"

"But _Jauuuuuune_… Aw phooey. I wanted to see some guy-on-guy action."

"Damnit, bra! Keep your girl gagged!"

"Let's just go home now, Nora."

-0-0-0-

"Jaune, are you sure-"

"Yes, Nora. We're not scaling Beacon Cliff."

"Aww…"'

"…maybe next time?"

"Yay!"

-0-0-0-

"Train~ Train~ Take us away~ Take us away~ Far~ away~"

"What's that, Nora?"

"A song about _destiny_."

"I see."

"You still thinkin' 'bout Weiss?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Just let it be. Don't force yourself to do _anything_."

"Yeah."

"To~ the future~ we~ will go~"

"Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Mhm."

Jaune closed his eyes and listened.

_"__Where~ it leads~ no~ one knows~"_

Just like that, he didn't feel so motion sick anymore.

-0-0-0-

It was almost midday when the two members of Team JNPR arrived back in the dorms.

Jaune collapsed on his bed and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Nora followed him soon after.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_** Nora's totes Jaune's shebro. Anyways, 'swear this was goin' somewhere but inspiration fizzled after on-off writing sessions. C'est la vie.

Watching Jaune's unrequited love completely crash the way it did stings, but such is life. On the bright side, I hope it marks Jaune's road-to-awesome. Anybody else get the feeling that Jaune's 7 Sisters are older than him?

Kudos to anyone that recognized the Train Song.


End file.
